PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The long-standing tradition of "welcome days" is coming to an end in the schools after the state cited the district for not providing enough class time for students. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education performed a coordinated program review last year and found that the practice of bringing incoming sixth-graders and ninth-graders in a day earlier to get acclimated to their new schools meant that the other students were falling short of the required 180 days of learning. "This is indeed a violation of our student's civil rights," Superintendent Jason McCandless said of the citation. The

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 448 recognized three Berkshire County high school students who composed essays on the importance of voting. Dozens attended the award ceremony Monday held at the American Legion building banquet hall where a combined $2,950 in scholarships were given out to Hannah Berkel, Kailey Sultaire, and Kathrine Wilson. "We are very proud of you and we placed high-qualifying standards on the recipients of these awards because we believe the winners will have high visibility in the community and will serve as role models," Arnold Perras, commander of VFW Post 448 said. "All of you are a credit to your school and

DALTON, Mass. — Visitors to Wahconah Regional High School frequently see one of the best football facilities in the county and a packed gymnasium filled with banners and get the impression that nothing needs to change. But look behind the scenes, and the nearly 60-year-old building has issues, issues that Central Berkshire Regional School District officials hope to address with a new high school. Last week, Wahconah Principal Aaron Robb conducted a building tour as part of the district's outreach effort in advance of an April 6 bond exclusion vote that will allow the district to move forward with a $70-$74 million project that would be funded in part by the

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Rotary Club President John Perreault and Service Above Self Award Chair Joan DiMartino presented six local students with "Service Above Self" awards.

This award exemplifies student volunteer efforts and their selfless contributions to the service of others. The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise.

DiMartino and committee members Jay and Kelly Marion, reviewed a number of outstanding nominations for students this year and selected the six awardees for their service above and beyond in their community.

ADAMS, Mass. — Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School has announced the students who made honor roll for the second quarter of the 2018-19 school year.

Students who earned 80 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of "Honors." Students who earned 90 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of "High Honors."

Academic courses at BArT are aligned with the Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks for the appropriate grade level and include all standards deemed necessary for a complete, college-preparatory, middle and high school education.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — In celebration of Norman Rockwell's 125th birthday, Norman Rockwell Museum will present the 33rd annual Berkshire County High School Art Show, with a special exhibition opening to be held on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the young artists and at 2:30 p.m. hear a lecture from acclaimed illustrator Gregory Manchess, whose work is also currently on view at the museum.

In the tradition of Norman Rockwell, who began his professional career as a teenager, the High School Art Show celebrates the creative talent found in Berkshire County's local high schools. Original works in all media — from painting and

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The governor's proposed budget for fiscal 2020 brings good news to the Pittsfield Public Schools. Gov. Charlie Baker released his proposed budget on Wednesday along with the "cherry sheets" that list the local and school aid for municipalities. As proposed, the city would see a $3.7 million increase in Chapter 70 aid for schools. That would make two consecutive years in which the district saw a significant boost in funding. "This is a substantive increase in Chapter 70 money for the city of Pittsfield," Superintendent Jason McCandless said. The superintendent is still waiting on the details as to how the

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — No written policy is ever going to fully address chronic absenteeism. Deputy Superintendent Joseph Curtis believes that because he's been a principal when the district has had strict attendance policies. He tried raffles and giveaways to incentivize students to go to school and it never worked. He'd meet with families who wouldn't even realize the number of days their child missed or that there was even a policy. However, not having a policy doesn't help either because once the policy fell into disuse, the number of absentee students increased. Particularly, the district faces chronic absenteeism from those from

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Some legislators are calling it the "year of education" but for Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, it's not about one year but about 125 years of education.

The college will celebrate its quasquicentennial in 2019 with a series of events, exhibitations, signage and celebrations. President Jamie Birge announced the anniversary along with other college news as the spring semester kickoff breakfast held in the Centennial Room on Tuesday morning.

Established in 1894 as the North Adams Normal School to train teachers, the college has gone through a number of names and some significant academic and physical changes over the past 125 years. It